Fresco to be closed to public for restoration

Press, 26 February 1987, Page 39

Fresco to be closed to public for restoration

By

DANIEL LIEFGREEN

I of Reuters 4 Milan Napoleon’s troops threw stones at it, over-zealous restorers crudely repainted it, World War II Allied bombers left it surrounded by rubble. Leonardo da Vinci’s fresco, “The Last Supper”, has been dubbed the world’s most abused masterpiece. Now, Italian cultural officiate say the fifteenthcentury fresco must be closed indefinitely to the public in order to complete its latest restoration, the fourth this century. The closure is expected soon, after which visitors will no longer be allowed inside the former monastic refectory in Milan’s Santa Maria delle Grazie church to see what art historian Ernst Gombrlch called “one of the great miracles wrought by human genius.” Further studies are needed of the severe damage caused by nearby traffic, temperature changes inside the church and thick layers of dust. Officiate believe these cannot be carried out amidst the daily crush of staring tourists.

“One doesn’t like to close off the public, but if we want to protect the original work we have to take the decision,” said Rosalba Tardito, Milan’s

cultural superintendent. “Unlike a Raphael or a Caravaggio, we can’t bring it (‘The Last Supper*) into a laboratory to restore it,” she said.

The decision has not been popular. “I’ll be out of work,” said a church worker to a journalist during a recent visit to the site. Milan’s new mayor, Paolo Pilllteri, backed by hotel owners, said the move would damage the city’s tourism. . • The Milan branch of the Christian Democratic Party has proposed installation of a closed circuit television system during the restoration so that visitors can . see the 9mwlde fresco painted by da Vinci between 1495 and 1497. -3 Pinin Brambilla Barcillon is the director of the present restoration, which began in 1976.

Standing oh the scaffolding under .the fresco, she spends heydays meticulously removing five centuries of grime and paint staining da Vinci’s work.

From a distance, the left side of the fresco seems covered in shadows. Up close, the benefits of Ms Barcillon’s labour could be clearly seen. Orange slices and pewter plates, once obscured on the table, now seemed life-like.

“The faces (of the apostles) have emotions now. There is spirituality at the dinner table,” Ms Barcillon said. “Look at Matthew’s mouth, it’s open and moving now.” Working under the public gaze clearly disturbs Ms Barcillon. In midafternoon the dark, dank refectory is jammed with camera-toting tourists, many of whom ignoresigns banning flash pictures.

Tourists pester her constantly, Ms Barcillon said. “They usually ask me to get out of the way so they can take their pictures.” Among her tools are two big microscopes resembling large dental X-ray machines that magnify paint fragments 40 times. It takes about a week to restore an area the size of a postage stamp. “It’s very difficult, exhausting work. Some days I work eight hours, some days I just can’t work at all because I have to take breaks,” Ms Barcillon said.

The unusual technique used by da Vinci in the fresco, which he painted for Duke Ludovico Sforza of Milan, then one of Europe’s most powerful rulers, has contributed to the deterioration. At the time, most frescos were painted quickly and direct on wet

plaster. But da Vinci used a white primer so that he could paint slowly. By 1517, only 20 years after it was completed, the paint had begun to flake. In addition, temperature changes between the frescoed wall and the room behind it occasionally trigger minor tremors that crack the paint. Earlier tests have shown these changes occur when large groups of tourists enter and leave the refectory. Ms Barcillon wiped the floor of the scaffolding with her finger, which instantly became caked with dust.

"This is a major problem that has to be resolved, and it is not possible with people around. In order to refurbish your house, you have to remove the furniture."

She sighed when asked when her restoration would be finished. “I’m at the half-way point, and it has taken me more than five years. I don’t need a deadline. It’s a big enough responsibility, especially when everybody is constantly watching you.” The care taken by modern restorers is in sharp contrast to the fresco’s abuse in the past In 1796, Napoleon’s troops occupying Milan used the refectory as an armoury and stable. They threw stones at da Vinci’s apostles and

climbed ladders to scratch out their eyes. Earlier in the eighteenth century, in one of the nine or 10 restorations the fresco has undergone In its history, paint was overlaid on the original so crudely that later it had to be removed with a scalpel.